By Devi Poojari
Bringing back old food traditions like pickling and drying flat papad discs on old sarees in the hot sun, is not just a fun activity to engage in, but also to make yourself a yearly stash of crispy papads.
½ cup rice flour 6 cups water 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon chilli flakes ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon oil Salt, to taste
Whisk the rice flour with two cups of water and salt until there are no lumps.
Place it over a medium-low heat and continue to whisk, while adding the remaining four cups of water, cumin seeds and chilli flakes.
Continue stirring the mixture until it starts to thicken and add the oil along with the baking soda.
Cook further for another 15-20 minutes by adding some more water until the mixture starts to resemble a runny batter.
Cool it down completely before lading half a spoon of the mixture each, on an oiled baking sheet or work surface.
Once they air-dry slightly and hold shape, place them on a clean cloth in the hot sun for 6-7 hours.
Continue drying them each day for the next 2-3 days and store in air-tight containers until ready to deep fry.